Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has fiercely denounced news outlet Politico for publishing what he calls outright “lies” about his assessment of US President Donald Trump after a private meeting at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
In a blistering statement posted on X today, Fico categorically rejected a Politico report, attributed to anonymous European diplomats. It claimed that, following his January 17 get-together with Trump, he had told European Union leaders at an informal Brussels summit he was “shocked” and “alarmed” by the President’s “psychological state”, describing it as “dangerous” and leaving him “traumatised”.
The article suggested Fico shared these views off the record during sideline discussions at the European Council, not in formal sessions.
Fico branded the piece fabrication by “the hateful, pro-Brussels liberal portal Politico“, accusing it of inventing claims without witnesses, evidence, or any direct observation.
“No one heard anything, no one saw anything, there are no witnesses, but nothing prevented the Politico portal from coming up with lies,” the Slovak PM wrote.
He described the report as part of a wider pattern of “boundless media lies” from liberal and progressive outlets aimed at undermining sovereign leaders in Slovakia and the US, alongside the “abuse of criminal law to destroy opponents” and rejection of dissenting views.
Fico, one of Europe’s most openly pro-Trump figures, insisted he had not spoken informally about the US visit with any EU counterpart, nor at the Brussels gathering, which he had openly criticised as poorly prepared.
He noted persistent EU efforts to sabotage his Washington trip, similar to restrictions on his earlier Moscow visit where some member states did not allow him to fly over their territory.
While agreeing with many of Trump’s strategies, Fico said he expected potential cancellation after his sharp criticism of US policy on Venezuela, making, in his view, the encounter all the more valuable.
He accused Politico of deliberately seeking to sabotage Slovakia’s constructive ties with global partners, including US co-operation on nuclear diversification.
The White House swiftly backed Fico’s denial, dismissing the Politico account as “absolutely total fake news” and describing the meeting as “positive and productive”, with no reported tension according to a senior Trump administration official present.
A recurring pattern in much anti-Trump reporting — particularly from Brussels and Washington-based outlets — relies heavily on anonymous sources whose claims are presented as authoritative.
Stories frequently cite “multiple diplomats”, “top officials”, or “senior sources briefed on the matter” to attribute explosive quotes or sensationalist assessments.
Damaging private views often emerge from faceless “sources familiar with” conversations, allowing outlets to publish inflammatory narratives while not having to offer much backing for the claims.
Famous examples of anti-Trump stories relying on anonymous sources that were later widely regarded as debunked, unreliable, or largely unsubstantiated involve the infamous Steele dossier and The Atlantic‘s 2020 report on Trump’s alleged comments about fallen US soldiers.
I STRONGLY REJECT THE LIES OF THE HATEFUL, PRO-BRUSSELS LIBERAL PORTAL POLITICO.
It is a sad look at the liberal and progressive political and media world. The abuse of criminal law to destroy opponents, the rejection of different opinions, boundless media lies, and attempts to…
— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) January 28, 2026
